Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
The friendship experiment
Erin Teagan
The friendship experiment
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Erin Teagan
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
The hum of lockers slamming and the chatter of new classmates fill the air as Madeline steps into sixth grade. Her carefully planned world, once as predictable as a science experiment, suddenly feels messy and confusing. Can Madeline discover the secret to fixing her tangled middle school life?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction follows Madeline, a young aspiring scientist, as she navigates the challenges of starting sixth grade and adjusting to new social dynamics. The story thoughtfully explores themes of friendship, family, and the ups and downs of middle school life, making it suitable for readers ages 9-12. Parents should note the realistic depiction of school experiences without intense conflict or mature content.
Why we rated The friendship experiment LE (Mild)
The friendship experiment is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 244 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The friendship experiment on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.
We rate The friendship experiment as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, The friendship experiment explores friendship, family, schools, and science & nature — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, schools.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LE · Mild · EmotionalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
If your child liked this book, they might like these
Matched on content and themes — all rated for reading level and content intensity.
Goodbye stranger
Rebecca Stead
Goodbye stranger
Rebecca Stead
The classroom
Robin Mellom
The classroom
Robin Mellom
All's faire in middle school
Victoria Jamieson
All's faire in middle school
Victoria Jamieson
The less-than-hidden secrets and final revelations of Lydia Goldblatt & Julie Graham-Chang
Amy Ignatow
The less-than-hidden secrets and final revelations of Lydia Goldblatt & Julie Graham-Chang
Amy Ignatow
Tall Tales
Karen Day
Tall Tales
Karen Day
Rules for secret keeping
Lauren Barnholdt
Rules for secret keeping
Lauren Barnholdt
The trouble with babies
Claudia Mills
The trouble with babies
Claudia Mills
The good, the bad & the beagle
Catherine Lloyd Burns
The good, the bad & the beagle
Catherine Lloyd Burns
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780544636224
- Pages
- 244
- Publisher
- Clarion Books
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction